Qoros Auto Co Ltd, Chery’s first JV with a foreign company, is seeking a Rmb3bn 10-year loan for its factory construction project.

Also located in Changshu, the 50-50 JV between Chery and investment firm Israel Corp has mandated Export-Import Bank of China to lead the Rmb3bn loan. Several major state-owned banks are going through internal credit assessment to join the deal, sources said.

The loan is offering a margin of at least 100% of the PBOC rate, according to a source. It repays after a three-year grace period, which is equal to the factory’s construction period, the source said.

Both shareholders will be guarantors of the deal, while the loan is secured by all the assets of the factory construction project.

The deal is slated to close in mid-May.

Established in 2007, Qoros Auto, formerly known as Chery Quantum Auto Co Ltd, launched its first car brand Qoros in November 2011. The brand will go on sale in 2013 in China and Western Europe, a market the company hasn’t yet entered with its own brand name, according to the company’s website.

Qoros has a top team of experienced auto experts and executives from the West, including former Mini chief designer Gert Hildebrand, Reuters reported last November.

Sources said the Changshu factory needed total investment of Rmb7bn. On completion, the factory will have an initial production capacity of 150,000 vehicles per annum, the company website said.

Construction of the factory’s main buildings will be finished by June, before the assembly line is installed, a Qoros spokesman said. The entire factory will be ready to produce cars by the end of this year, he added. But Qoros could not comment on the financing.

观致获30亿元贷款 用于15万辆乘用车项目

新京报2012年7月23日报道　观致汽车(QOROS)今天将在上海与国内5家主要银行组成的银团签署为期十年的30亿元人民币贷款协议，该笔款项将用于观致汽车15万辆乘用车项目的建设。至此，观致汽车首期投资近70亿元人民币已全部到位，观致汽车正在按最初的投资计划稳步注入建设资金。

观致方面表示，此次银团由中国进出口银行牵头，包括工、农、建、交等中国最大的银行，体现了国内主流银行界对观致汽车的前景充分认可；此次融资，是按照公司计划的资金配比，结合企业发展进程与银行进行的深度合作，对优化观致企业资金结构、推进项目进展和增强公司资金实力等都将起到积极的作用。

目前，观致汽车的首款产品的60辆试制车正在全球范围内进行最为严苛的测试。已经完成的安全性能测试显示，观致的产品将达到2013年欧洲五星安全碰撞标准，这将是中国车企首次达到这一高度。同时，观致汽车首期规划产能15万辆的生产基地正在江苏省常熟经济技术开发区建设中，预计今年年底完成生产线的铺设开始进行投产。

At present, the concept to the car the first product 60 trial vehicles are worldwide the most rigorous testing. Has completed the safety performance tests have shown that the concept of consistent products will reach the 2013 European five-star crash safety standards, it will be Chinese car prices for the first time to reach this height. The same time, the concept caused the car the first phase of planning the production capacity of 150,000 units production base in Changshu, Jiangsu Province Economic and Technological Development Zone, is expected to the end of this year to complete the laying of the production line put into production.